Reporting Unit: North Yukon

The most northerly areas of the Yukon lie within this sparsely populated reporting unit. The landscape here is diverse ranging from the coastal plain bordering the Beaufort Sea to areas that are heavily forested, wetlands or mountainous. Residents from communities in the Mackenzie River delta maintain seasonal camps at several locations along the Yukon coast. However, the only permanent settlement in the region is the village of Old Crow with a population of 270. There is no road access to the community and subsistence is a way of life in Old Crow. The Vuntut Gwitchin emphasize the links between a healthy environment and the continuation of their lifestyle and culture based on traditional harvesting activities. The seasonal round in Old Crow finds people gathering food from a variety of sources: muskrats and waterfowl in spring, salmon in summer and caribou in autumn.

Salmon have long been an important food source for the Vuntut Gwitchin. Three species, chinook, coho and chum travel up the Yukon and Porcupine Rivers on their way to spawning areas on the Fishing Branch River. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in cooperation with the people of Old Crow, have set up a counting weir and are closely monitoring yearly salmon returns. Heavy harvests by Alaskan fishers have taken a toll and the numbers of returning chum are below management objectives.

Graph: Fishing Branch River chum salmon returns

Porcupine Caribou Herd

The Porcupine Caribou Herd, a large population of migrating Grant's caribou, has been an important part of the north Yukon's natural environment for thousands of years. (The name Porcupine is taken from a river near the center of the caribou herd's range.)

The year round range of this herd includes much of northeastern Alaska, the northern Yukon and the Richardson Mountains of the Northwest Territories. Calves are usually born in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge along the Alaska coast of the Beaufort Sea. The herd generally spends its summer months above treeline in the Brooks Range and the British, Barn and Richardson Mountains. The herd may winter in the Peel and Porcupine River watersheds (hence its name) in the Yukon Territory as well as in northeastern Alaska.

Porcupine Caribou Herd: range

Gwitchin, Inuvialuit, Northern Tutchone and Inupiat from 13 communities in Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories, rely on the Porcupine Caribou Herd for food. Non-native people from these villages and from larger communities such as Whitehorse and Fairbanks also hunt these caribou. The community of Old Crow has depended on the caribou for thousands of years and the Gwitchin people are dependent on the herd for the survival of their culture. The reported harvest of Porcupine Caribou has ranged from 2,000 to 7,000 per year over the past 15 years. The herd also supports predators such as wolves, grizzly bears and golden eagles.

Population Size and Harvest

Grant's caribou need large areas of relatively undisturbed tundra and boreal forest areas. These caribou are most sensitive to disturbance while on their calving grounds and less so while on their winter range. There is potential for oil and gas exploration and development in both these areas, but it is most likely to occur in the 1002 Lands within Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Snow Depth and Calving Success

The depth of the snow on the Porcupine Caribou Herd winter range (along with several other climate components) has a direct effect on the number of calves the herd produces.

In the spring following a winter of deep snow, cows should still produce the usual number of calves, but because of the amount of fat the cows will have used up digging craters in the deep snow to get food, (primarily lichens), they may produce weaker calves with a poorer chance of survival. The energy required to produce that spring's calves and nurse them through the summer (especially if it's a warm summer with a lot of insects), may also mean the cows will go into the fall breeding season in poor shape. Cows in poor condition may not come into estrus. Even if they are bred, and even if the following winter has normal snowfall, the cows may resorb their fetus within the first month or abort. The next spring, fewer calves are born.

Global warming, some scientists predict, may cause the northern Yukon to have greater snowfall in winter, faster melt period in spring and warmer summers. If this happens, the population size of the Porcupine Caribou Herd could shrink.

North Yukon Wildlife Management

There are several challenges to managing wildlife in the northern Yukon. Many animals move back and forth across political boundaries and may be harvested by people from different communities. As a result transboundary issues and coordination are key concerns. In addition, the health of many northern populations depends on certain key habitats at particular times of the year. These critical habitats must be identified and protected.

The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed in 1984 and established a cooperative management process for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region that extends across the northern Yukon. There is now considerable habitat protection. Ivvavik National Park was created in 1984 as part of the Final Agreement and this was followed by Herschel Island Territorial Park. As a result of the 1995 Vuntut Gwitchin land claim agreement Vuntut National Park was created.

Coastal Marine Region: Now check out this unique region bordering the Beaufort Sea